Abstract
A female in her 60's had undergone a cholecystectomy for cholecystolithiasis at the age of 26. She was diagnosed as having hereditary spherocytosis at the age of 33 years ; splenectomy was not recommended due to the presence of only minimal symptoms. The patient developed right hypochondralgia in Feburuary 2007 ; a severe hemolytic anemia and jaundice, as well as hepato and choledocholithiasis, were noted. Due to the persistent and severe anemia as well as jaundice, a laparoscopic splenectomy was performed. Subsequently, a left hepatic lobectomy with hepaticojejunostomy was performed. She was discharged without any complications. In patients with hereditary spherocytosis pigmented gallstones are common, but the development of hepatolithiasis is rarely reported. The presented patient had a cholecystectomy without a splenectomy ; this was thought to have resulted in hepatolithiasis. In the present case, the splenectomy was done before the liver resection ; this allowed the hepatic resection to be done electively in the absence of severe anemia or jaundice.
